Slavitt optimistic about value-based care moving forward

“Quality and safety have improved with the rate of hospital-acquired conditions declining by 17%, which has prevented an estimated 87,000 deaths over four years,” acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Andy Slavitt said at the MACRA MIPS/APM Summit last week.

Slavitt addressed past health reform efforts in the Affordable Care Act as well as future efforts included in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).

MACRA isn’t intended to be another “check-the-box program” that draws focus away from focus on care and quality, according to Slavitt.

Dive Insight:

Slavitt discussed three concerns in particular: the burden of regulations, inexperience with reporting programs, and variance in experience with reporting. He suggested providers take four steps to achieve health reform goals: Move forward, not backward; modernize Medicare according current standards; insist for interoperability; and continue to ensure that care is patient-centered.

There is concern within the healthcare industry about potential changes under a Trump administration, particularly after learning to live with the Affordable Care Act in the past several years. The tone adopted by Slavitt seemed hopeful that value-based care initiatives will continue.

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